Maravi

Pf leadership has no mandate - sampa-bredt

Pf leadership has no mandate - sampa-bredt
By Patson Chilemba, Lambwe Kachali and Noel Sichalwe
Sunday July 27, 2008 [04:00]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Chawama member of parliament Reverend Violet Sampa-Bredt yesterday said the current party leaders do not have the mandate of the people but the appointing authority. And Chifunabuli member of parliament Ernest Mwansa said Sata is victimising PF members of parliament sitting on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) because he is afraid of them.

In an interview, Rev Sampa-Bredt said party members were yearning for a convention where leaders would be voted for democratically.
She said the issue of a leadership vacuum would not arise if the party went for a convention.

Rev Sampa-Bredt said Sata should facilitate the conference and ensure that he allowed people to challenge him.

"The structure in MMD is very clear like we read from Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda. Equally, I think if PF should go to a convention and elect leaders, there should be no leadership vacuum. We are yearning to see that a convention is held where true leaders will be elected," she said.

Asked if the current leaders were not true leaders, Rev Sampa-Bredt said the current leaders were true but there was need to remove the system where only one person appointed leaders. She said there should be a system of continuation in the party, saying if old leaders retired, the new ones would take over.
"The party should not disappear in thin air when our leader has gone or retired," said Rev Sampa-Bredt.

On Sata's recent statement that party 'rebels' would not be allowed to attend the conference slated for September, Rev Sampa-Bredt said she was still a PF member and that she would attend the conference.

Rev Sampa-Bredt said the injunction restraining the party from expelling her still stands.
And Mwansa wondered why the PF had continued to accept the money which donors were contributing to the party through Parliament when its members of parliament were being rejected.

Mwansa said even Sata would need a majority vote at the national conference for him to retain the presidency and that it would be difficult to do that if some members, particularly parliamentarians sitting on the NCC were barred.

He said the top party leadership should not continue to fight their members but should instead promote unity and prepare for the next general elections in 2011.

"As far as I am concerned, I chose to be PF and why should I be victimised? And this issue that us sitting on the NCC are not part of PF, I think the matter is still in court and all of us are still PF members until the courts of law dispose of the case," Mwansa said. "I don't think we can be barred from that conference because we chose to be PF and we don't need to be victimised."

Mwansa also said PF was a strong party and would not be hurt by negative skirmishes.
"All I can say is that Mr Sata is our president and PF is a very strong party. It won't be hurt by few skirmishes. I have great hope for the future of our party," said Mwansa.

Luapula member of parliament Peter Machungwa said only God was eternal and that human beings who occupied leadership positions could be replaced any time.

"We have had presidents who have come and gone," said Machungwa. "I am sure if you look at leaders like the Queen of England, she has been in that position since the 1950s but at one time or another, she will be replaced by someone. Change is always inevitable."

Labels: NCC, PF, SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:59 AM